One of the most sublime experiences we can ever have is to wake up feeling healthy after we have been sick

I feel good today! Not only have I overcome all but the last annoying remnants of a mucousy plague that ate almost all of my weekend, but it is 70 degrees outside! 70! 7-0, as in BEEE-Yu-Tee-Fuull!!!

Last Wednesday was Mardi Gras craft shopping day! One of my best girl's and I drove all over town, manically scratching fabrics, feathers, sequins, decorations, and other sparkly sundries off our shopping lists! We took a quick break to have some guacamole and iced tea at the Blue Tomato, which was really good (just in time too, as my frantic shopping was turning me into a zombie)!

It was a wonderful day!...but did I mention that my lovely, vivacious shopping partner was nursing one hell of a cold?.....duh, duh, duuuuuuuuuh...I was down for the count by dinner time, and didn't resemble a living organism until about mid-way through Saturday...

My sickness set me back on sewing and housework, but I did manage to pull myself out of funkiness on Saturday night just in time for some out of town guests! One of my best girlfriends and her rocker boyfriend drove down for a show, and we got to tag along! We decided to take a cab, since the performance venue was far away and in a neighborhood we were unsure of. The cab driver was wicked confused when he dropped us off at the bar...can you guess why?

The bar is new (hence the no sign), and is called Siberia. It was appropriately freezing inside the bar, though it wasn't actually a cold night outside. The fun inside the show belied the stark exterior.

I know my friend took some fabulous photos of the bands with her snazzy camera, but I'll have to get those from her later. Our friend played with Oxford's own Unwed Teenage Mothers, and a Jackson, MS band we (Los Buddies) love played too! Two other bands played too, one of which had a group of 12 yr old (ok, maybe they were 21)hipster moshers....if you can mentally conceptualize that...But by that time, my dayquil-induced haze was wearing off, so I called us a cab and climbed into my cozy bed with a roll of toilet paper and an entire bag of Ricola cough drops...

Sunday, I enjoyed a little late brunch at Coulis with my friends before they headed north, and then spent most of the day ironing freshly washed Mardi Gras fabrics and shoving cough drops, pickles, vitamins, and orange juice into my face.

By yesterday morning (VALENTINES DAY!!!), I was feeling tip-top (aside from a little lingering mucous), and ready for a romantic date with my favorite archaeologist! We decided to take the streetcar downtown and scout out locations to take my folks when they visit later this week.

We started with oysters at Acme! Bryan even offered to order them on the half-shell (my preference) instead of char-grilled!

Then we walked down Royal, and paused by my favorite antique shop to get a pic of my FABULOUS outfit!!! I actually didn't make this dress, it was last year's one-time RTW purchase while I was in New York last spring! I had totally forgotten i had it, and am SO glad I found it again because I got so many compliments on it, it made my little face blush!

We wandered for a while, had dinner at Coop's Place, and finished the evening with my VERY favorite: A hot buttered rum at the Erin Rose!

Here's a couple of pics of us wandering around looking fabulous!

After work today, I've gotta get some housework done in prep for my fam's visit Thursday, but after that, I'll be sewing up a storm and hopefully will have updates soon! I hope you had a grand Valentines Day!